Intermediate connection for haulage cages



May 8, 1934. I F. OTTO INTERMEDIATE CONNECTION FOR HAULAGE CAGES I 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 15 1932 Fig.2. Fig- 3. Fig. 4.

Figl- 'INVENTO'U May 8, 1934.

F. o'rTo INTERMEDIATE CONNECTION FOR HAULAGE CAGES Filed Jan. 15, 1932.

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig 8.

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, INVENTOR:

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MayS, 1934. F. OTTO 1,957,724

INTERHEbIATE CONNECTION FOR HAULAGE CAGES Filed Jan. "15, 1932 sSheets-Sheet I5 INVENTO R: Q5;

Patented May 8,

PATENT OFFICE INTERMEDIATE CONNECTION FOR HAULAGE CAGES Fritz Otto,Dusseldorf, Germany Application January 15, 1932, Serial No. 588,56

In Germany January 23, 1931 6 Claims. (Cl. 187-1).

For adjusting the length of the haulage cable for the cage many deviceshave been proposed.

A simple adjustment oi the cable length can be effected for example by acable binding, in which I the end of the cable is pressed around aroller provided on the dead-eye and fixed by means of clamps on anextension of the dead-eye. The extension piece, is connected to thedead-eye through the intermediary of a screw spindle. In 10 adjustingcable lengths the clamps holding the cable end are detached afterrelieving the haulage rope, and the dead-eye is shifted towards or awayi'rom the extension piece by means of the screw spindle. The cable endis then pulled according to the lengthening of the cable, aiter which itis again fixed by the clamps. The possibility of using these cablebindings is limited by the extremely heavy weight or the cable bindings.I

Intermediate connections with adjustable links necessitate a very longconstructional. length 01 the intermediate connection piece in the case01 newly fitted cables. The links provided with several adjusting holeshave more or less long dead lengths between the adjusting holes,according to the strength of the material, wherefrom results acorresponding undesirable increase of the dead load. Moreover, theinterchanging of the adjusting links is complicated and wastes time,because the fastening of the intermediate connection piece must beloosened for the adjustment. Only a rough adjustment is possibleaccording to the distribution of the holes for the adjusting bolts, sothat the objections of very inaccurate adjustment of the cages mustbe,reckoned with.

The intermediate connections withadjusting spindles allow 01 fineadjustment, but are not popular, owing to the danger of breakage and 40should moreover not be allowed, if they are not employed in conjunctionwith parallel supporting links which take up the load of the cage in theevent of a spindle fracture. In the case of main haulage with heavyloads no screw spindles at all should be employed in all cases wherehigh cable speeds exist, on account of the rapid wear between the screwspindle and supporting nut and on account of the dangers resultingtherefrom.

As intermediate connections usually consist of two traverses the loweror which is connected to the main rod and the upper to the ropeconnection and both of which are connected togather by screw spindlesextending through their ends and engaging the screw thread of wire nutsbearing on the traverses, these intermediate connections are too wide.The traverses are subjected to bending stresses and for this reason andon account of the weakening of the cross section by the screw spindlesengaging therethrough, are made very thick especially in height. Thisheight of the traverses is called dead height" because it occupies aconsiderable portion of the height available between the cage and therope pulley. The supporting nuts must also be very strong. This howeverresults in an undesirable increase in weight, besides requiring arelatively large space.

As is known efforts are made to keep the con' necting element betweenthe cage and hauling rope as light as possible. Therefore the use oflight metal has been proposed. Thus, for example, on page 432 of No. 36of the Journal Der Bergbau dated October 1, 1931 in the article entitledWeights of miners trucks and cages, it is generally stated in connectionwith intermediate connections in hoisting means: The weights can bereduced by employing material having great strength and light metal. Theemployment of light metal, however, necessitates many times higherinitial costs than the usual constructional material and can thereforeonly be used in exceptional cases.

This invention relates to a connection piece between the haulage cableand the cage, and need only be as long as is necessary for the insertionof the distance pieces and thus possesses all the advantages of lightweight, besides the great advantage that it allows of fine adjustmentsimilar to that obtained when employing screw spindles. Thisintermediate connection piece according to the invention is produced byproviding distance pieces as adjusting elements for adjusting the cablelength and for height adjustment of the cage. The number of distancepieces inserted can be varied so that it is possible to regulate thedistance as desired in the direction of the cable between the twobearing points of the connecting links. Thus, the adjustment of thecable length and the height adjustment of the cage is obtained.

Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of examplein the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation an intermediate connection with the cablestill unelongated.

Fig. la isa section on line la-la of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1b is a section on line 1blb oi. Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the middle of Fig. 1. f

Figs. 3 and 4 show in section the-adjustment oi the intermediateconnection after elongation of the cable.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the longitudinal fixation of thedistance pieces.

Fig. 5a is a section on line 5a--5a of Fig. 5 showing a single distancepiece in top plan view.

Figs. 6 to 9 are similar views to Figs. 1 to 5 of a modified form ofconstruction.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation and Fig. 11 a front elevation of a secondmodification.

Fig. 10a is a longitudinal section through the form of constructionshown in Figs. 10 and 11.

Fi 11a is a cross section on line llalla of Fig. 11.

Fig. 12 is a section according to line 12-12 of Fig. 10 through the formof construction shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

The connection piece illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 between the haulagecage and the cable consists of a main rod 1, two supporting links 2, asupporting link 3, two supporting links 4, connecting bolts 5,transverse bolt 6 and dead-eye 7. The siipporting link 3 has alongitudinal slot 9 in which the traverse bolt 6 is guided and on thepins projecting one on each end irom the traverse bolt 6 the links 2 aresuspended. For adJusting the cable length and for effecting the desiredheight adjustment of the cage; distance pieces 8 are provided. In theexamples illustrated there are eleven such distance pieces. The distancepieces 8 are of diflerent thickness. It 'is evident, that more distancepieces or all the distance pieces may be of dliIerent thickness, so thata veryflne height and equalization'can be obtained. When the distancepieces 8 are not in use as, in the case of a newly mounted cable, theyare piled in the non-loaded slot portion of the links 2 and are thusalways available in this magazine. II it is necessary, to shorten theintermediate connection piece by for example iour distance pieces 8,owing to elongation of the cable, the distance between the oppositebearing points of the slot'apertures isincreased, after relieving thecable, by inserting the distance pieces in the slot 9 under thetransverse bolt 6, so that the intermediate connection piece isshortened (Fig. 3). Fig. 4 shows the maximum adjustment. All thedistance pieces 8 have been inserted through the two links 2 and themiddle link 3. For securing the distance pieces in position auxiliarylinks 10 are provided on both sides of the slot aperture formed by thelinks 2 on the sides having the aperture for inserting.

'In order to adjust it is only necessary to remove one of the auxiliarylinks. The distance pieces can then be removed by exertingblows on thedistance pieces on both sides 01' the other auxiliary link. I

In the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 the slotaperture 9' is provided in the deadeye 7'. Figs. 8 and 7 show theposition ot-the connection, when a new hoisting cable is being mounted.All distance pieces are situated below the dead-eye in the unloaded slotportion, namely the magazine formed by the links 2. Figs. 8

and 9 show the maximum adjustment. All distance pieces have beeninserted through the slot aperture of the links 2 and the slotapertureof the dead-eye 7'. The straight support oi the distance pieces underthe dead-eye is ensured by an intermediate element 11.

The bolts 5 and the transverse bolt 6 are ilxed in position by splitpins inserted in holes 12 in the bolts 5.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 10 to 12 two supporting links3 and only one supporting link 2 are provided. The supporting link asshown in Fig. 12 is rectangular in cross section, is inserted through abore 16 of the transverse bolt 6' and has a head 13. The distance pieces8" are.each made in two parts 8"a and 8"b, held together by the screws14 and enclosing the,.supporting link 2'. The cable being not elongated,all distance pieces are on the portion of the supporting link 2'situated below the transverse bolt 6', this portion forming in this casethe magazine for the distance pieces. Small plates 15, fixed by screwson the lower portion of the link, form rests for the distance pieces.The cable being elongated, the distance pieces 8" are removed from theportion of the supporting link 2' after the screws 14 have beenunscrewed, and the distance pieces are then fixed on the supporting link2' between the head 13 of the same and the transverse bolt 6, so thatthe bearing surface of the supporting link 2' formed by the link head 13is moved away from the transverse bolt 6' and the intermediateconnection is shortened. The connection of the supporting link 2 withthe main rod 1 is effected through the intermediary oi the portion 4 ofthe supporting link and the bolts 5.

In order to attain any desired fine adjustment, it is suflicient tosubdivide a distance piece into as many thin pieces as desired.Insteadot the supporting links and the cable dead-eye any otherintermediate element can be provided between the cable and the cage, andalso the main rod may have an aperture for accommodating the distancepieces. The distance pieces may be made in any suitable shape andsecured against slipping out of the apertures in the supporting linksand the like by any other suitable means than by the auxiliary links 10.Further, several adjusting elements, for example 01' the type described,may be employed arranged one above the other.

I claim:-

1. An intermediate connection for connecting a haulage cage to a haulagecable, comprising in combination a link chain consisting of two linkelements, one link element having in the direction 01' the cable a guide!or the shifting of the other element in the direct-ion of the cable,each ofsaid elements provided with anabutment to limit the pulling apartmovement oi said elements, the abutment of one oi said link elementscarrying the other'link element by means of its abutment, and distancepieces adapted to be inserted between the abutments to compensate forstretching in the cable and adjust the height of the cage.

2. An intermediate connection for connecting a haulage cage to a haulagecable, comprising in combination a link chain consisting of two linkelements, one link element having a longitudinal slot in the directionof the cable, both elements interengaging and having each an abutmentadapted to limit their pulling apart movement, the abutment of one ofsaid elements carrying the other of said elements by means of itsabutment and guided in the longitudinal slot in the other of saidelements, and distance pieces adapted to be inserted between theabutments to compensate for stretching inthe cable and adjust the heightof the cage.'

3. An intermediate connection for connecting a haulage cage to a haulagecable, comprising in combination a link chain consisting of two linkelements, each of said link elements having a longitudinal slot in thedirection of the cable, both elements interengaging and having anabutment adapted to limit the pulling apart movement of said elements,the abutment of one of said link elements carrying the other of saidelements by means of its abutment guided in the longitudinal slot ofsaid first mentioned element, and distance pieces adapted to be insertedbetween the abutments to compensate for stretching in the cable andadjust the height of the cage.

4. An intermediate connection as specified in claim 3 in which theportion of the slot in the link elements not serving as bearing surfacesfor the abutments serves as magazine for the distance pieces notrequired.

5. An intermediate connection as specified in claim 3, comprising incombination with the link chain, a dead eye forming a link of said chainand having a slot aperture in the direction of the cable,

6. An intermediate connection as specified in claim 1 comprising incombination with the link elements, a head on one of said link elements,a transverse bolt carried by the other of said link elements having abore guiding said first mentionedlink element the head of which bears onsaid bolt, and distance pieces adapted to be inserted between said headand said transverse bolt to adjust the distance between the bearingsurfaces of said head and said transverse bolt corresponding to theelongation of the haulage cable and the height adjustment of the haulagecage.

FRITZ OTTO.

